EnglishTeacher

Sim City and Loans

(EnglishTeacher) — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:29:27 PST

One of my best friends waltzed in to my apartment yesterday and showed me the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen. I don't know much about guitars since I am a drummer, but I do know an $1,800 Gibson guitar when I see one. It was dark with a burnt-orange sunburst in the middle...

The Grand Plan: Part I

(EnglishTeacher) — Thu, 22 May 2008 12:34:00 PST

I am getting married on May 31st. My fiancee and I are extremely excited, have known each other for a long time, have similar interests and values, and all of that other good stuff. One thing that I think is going to help us avoid a lot of fights is that we have similar values when...

Make Money from $4 Gas

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:46:18 PST

Most of us are seeing the effects of $4 gasoline. I have a 30-mile commute to work each day, so on Quicken, I keep seeing the "Fuel" section of the pie chart gradually eat up the other pieces of the pie. While this may seem like a bad thing, it has the potential to shower financial...

Lord of the Rings and Personal Finance

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:32:18 PST

Lord of the Rings and personal finance may not seem like they have a lot in common at first. You might be wondering, "What analogy could this guy possibly draw?" Is the Ring of Power similar to debt (something that you may want to use for good but is ultimately corrupting)? Are...

Save Money: Fix Your Own Car

(EnglishTeacher) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 04:29:26 PST

I briefly mentioned my '98 Mercury Sable in yesterday's entry. It currently has 120,000 miles on it, and my goal is to get it to at least 200,000. Since Q and I lovingly refer to it as the Stingray, it's extra important that it continues to run.

Well, I quickly discovered that...

Still Rollin'

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:49:27 PST

Well, I haven't made an entry on here in a while. I'm still plugging away at my emergency fund ($6500 currently with the goal of $10000).

I opened a Roth IRA through T. Rowe Price last month. I am now putting 5% of my income in my 401k and 5% in the Roth. I'm gradually going...

ING Direct - How Exactly Does the Interest Work?

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:02:33 PST

Ahhh, 4.10% interest on my savings account feels good! Thank you to everyone who helped me see the light on this issue.

I have a question, however. I am under the impression that interest accrues daily and is credited to my account monthly. Hmmm. If I had $100 in savings today,...

State Budget Cuts = My Job in Danger

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:40:06 PST

Well, Kentucky needs to balance its budget. That means education funding is about to be cut. Potential staff layoffs, hiring freezes, and other such wonderful things are on the horizon. Letters and memos have already been flooding through the state everywhere from community colleges,...

Wesabe

(EnglishTeacher) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 13:01:50 PST

Does anyone here have experience with Wesabe?

The Calm Before the Storm

(EnglishTeacher) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:16:05 PST

The sky was overcast today, or at least, I think it was. I ventured outside once...maybe twice. I don't really know. I spent all day talking with friends in my apartment, playing drums, reading, surfing the internet, cooking, listening to music, and watching the presidential debates...

Teachers, Student Loans, and Salary

(EnglishTeacher) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:52:36 PST

I came across an interesting article in a National Education Association magazine. It was all about how the rising price of college tuition is impacting teachers and those who are considering going into teaching. Horror stories of people having up to 80k in student loans and being...

Does Index Fund = Eggs in One Basket?

(EnglishTeacher) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:17:56 PST

As of now, my plan is to put 80% of my retirement in Vanguard's Total Stock Market Index Fund. That particular fund tracks every single American stock on the market. I plan to put the remaining 20% in Vanguard's Total International Stock Index Fund, which is a broad international...

Of Sickness and Snowdays

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 09:06:18 PST

I had a wonderful New Year's Eve party. My home was filled with friends and family. We laughed, played games, and...ate pizza.

I had a dream in the wee hours of January 1st that had something to do with my stomach being upset. I woke up to find that my stomach really was upset....

Can You Feel It?

(EnglishTeacher) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:16:09 PST

2007 has been a year of changes for me. Like any year, it has had its ups and downs, but it seems that they were more drastic. The ups were really up; the downs were really down.

I went from being a student to being a teacher. I went from undergraduate classes to graduate classes....

Wedding Bands

(EnglishTeacher) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 20:18:57 PST

Q and I bought our wedding bands today. I ended up spending $500. It felt really good to have the money readily available with no strain put on any of my savings accounts or bills. Managing money well takes such an incredible amount of stress out of life.

Good News with my Car! Yay!

(EnglishTeacher) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 08:19:58 PST

Some of you probably heard my lamenting over how much I expected to pay to fix my car. I was expecting a bill in the vicinity of $400. Well, it turned out to be $158!

I didn't even have to tap my emergency fund. Now, I will most likely have some other car trouble in the near...

Farewell Benazir Bhutto

(EnglishTeacher) — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 13:35:09 PST

I am shocked. Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated and declared dead at 6:16 p.m. Pakistan time.

I am shocked and saddened by this event. Benazir Bhutto was a moderate Pakistani politician. She was a strong female leader in a part of the world...

0.5% Interest on My Savings Account??? HELP!

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:24:20 PST

In lieu of my needing to tap my emergency fund to pay for car repairs, I called my bank to make sure that money would instantly be available in my checking account as soon as I transfered it to checking via online banking. They said it would be. Then, it popped into my head to check...

New brakes and tires. =(

(EnglishTeacher) — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 07:31:11 PST

I knew this day would come. I drive a 1998 Mercury Sable, and it is paid off. It's had some problems over the past year with not starting; however, I haven't had to put any cash into it. That is about to change.

The good ole Mercury probably needs new brake pads and new tires....

Christmas! (Part II)

(EnglishTeacher) — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 08:25:56 PST

Merry Christmas to everyone! Enjoy all the food, friends, and family!